Lee Viau

Born: 7/5/1866 in Corinth, VT, USA

Died: 12/17/1947 in Hopewell, NJ, USA

MLB Debut: 1888-04-22 | Final Game: 1892-08-27

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'4" | Weight: 160 lbs

Full name: Leon A. Viau

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Biography

Lee Viau was a professional baseball pitcher who played in the late 19th century, making a significant impact in the early days of the sport. Born in 1866, Viau's career spanned from 1888 to 1892, during a transformative period in baseball that saw the game evolve from its rough-and-tumble origins into a more structured and widely followed sport. He played his entire career in a league that was adjusting to the growing popularity of baseball, which was becoming a national pastime in the United States. Viau finished his career with a record of 83-77 and an earned run average (ERA) of 3.33, signaling his effectiveness on the mound during his playing days. He struck out 554 batters, showcasing his ability to dominate opposing hitters, and recorded one save, a notable achievement in an era when the role of the relief pitcher was still developing. Viau's contributions to baseball exemplified the competitive spirit and the athletic prowess that characterized the early years of the game, leaving a legacy that would be built upon by future generations of players.

Career Pitching Statistics

W	L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	SO	ERA	Pitcher PIV
83	77	178	162	146	5	1	1442.0	1441	533	37	526	554	3.33	0

Career ERA 3.33 vs. league average 3.55 across their career seasons — 6.3% better than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Year	Team	Lg	W	L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	ER	BB	SO	ERA	Lg ERA	Pitcher PIV
1888	CN2	AA	27	14	42	42	42	1	0	387.7	331	114	110	164	2.65	2.95 (+10%)	-345.7
1889	CN2	AA	22	20	47	42	38	1	1	373.0	379	157	136	152	3.79	3.93 (+4%)	2933.1
1890	CIN	NL	7	5	13	10	7	1	0	90.0	97	45	39	41	4.50	3.88 (-16%)	-1403.0
1890	CL4	NL	4	9	13	13	13	1	0	107.0	101	40	42	30	3.36	3.88 (+13%)	-756.2
1891	CL4	NL	18	17	45	38	31	0	0	343.7	367	115	138	130	3.01	3.52 (+14%)	2836.2
1892	CL4	NL	0	1	1	1	0	0	0	1.0	5	4	1	0	36.00	—	0.0
1892	LS3	NL	4	11	16	15	14	1	0	130.7	156	58	56	36	3.99	3.28 (-22%)	-1959.2
1892	BSN	NL	1	0	1	1	1	0	0	9.0	5	0	4	1	0.00	3.28 (+100%)	0.0

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
184	588	58	82	9	5	0	31	17	48	154	0.139	0.207	0.172	0.379	-3436.7

Career AVG .139 vs. league average .253 across their career seasons — 44.9% below league average.

Career OBP .207 vs. league average .324 across their career seasons — 36.1% below league average.

Career SLG .172 vs. league average .341 across their career seasons — 49.7% below league average.

Career OPS 0.379 vs. league average 0.665 across their career seasons — 43.1% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year	Team	Lg	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	Lg AVG	Lg OBP	Lg SLG	Lg OPS	PIV
1888	CN2	AA	43	149	16	13	1	2	8	5	11	46	0.087	.238 (-63%)	.290 (-48%)	.319 (-62%)	.610 (-56%)	-1231.5
1889	CN2	AA	47	147	14	21	2	1	9	4	11	47	0.143	.263 (-46%)	.334 (-38%)	.357 (-52%)	.691 (-45%)	-1135.9
1890	CIN	NL	13	36	2	5	0	0	1	2	3	7	0.139	—	—	—	—	0.0
1890	CL4	NL	13	43	6	7	1	0	2	2	4	8	0.163	—	—	—	—	0.0
1891	CL4	NL	45	144	15	23	3	2	6	2	12	28	0.160	.254 (-37%)	.331 (-32%)	.343 (-39%)	.675 (-36%)	-880.7
1892	CL4	NL	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
1892	LS3	NL	21	66	5	13	2	0	5	2	7	16	0.197	.244 (-20%)	.316 (-10%)	.327 (-31%)	.644 (-21%)	0.0
1892	BSN	NL	1	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0.000	—	—	—	—	0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
OF	8	0	5	2	0	1
P	178	0	55	300	35	8

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	PO	A	E	DP
1888	CN2	OF	1	0	0	0	0
1888	CN2	P	42	18	78	9	0
1889	CN2	OF	1	0	0	0	0
1889	CN2	P	47	9	60	4	2
1890	CIN	P	13	5	23	1	0
1890	CL4	P	13	1	19	3	0
1891	CL4	OF	1	0	0	0	0
1891	CL4	P	45	12	79	14	2
1892	CL4	P	1	1	1	1	1
1892	LS3	OF	5	5	2	0	1
1892	LS3	P	16	8	39	3	3
1892	BSN	P	1	1	1	0	0